Railroad signaling device



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. P. RODGERS.

RAILROAD SIGNALING, DEVICE. No. 378,850. Patent Feb. 28, 1888.

2 t e e h s m e h S an S R E O R R. T a d o M 0 W RAILROAD SIGNALINGDEVICE.

PatentedTeb. 28,-1888.

12911 6 ewes UNITED STATES PATENT 0mm.

TOPPAN P. RODGERS, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAILROAD SIGNALING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,850, dated February28, 1888. Application filed April 23, 1887. Serial No. 235,500. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, TOPPAN P. RODGERS, of Taunton, in the county ofBristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Railroad Signaling Devices; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to animprovement in signaling devices for railroadcrossings, switches, and curves, and has for its object the constructionof a simple and efficient mechanism that in operation will ring analarm-gong at a point in advance of a locomotive or moving train tonotify aswitchman of its approach.

A further object is to construct a signaling mechanism that is operatedby direct contact of the wheels of the moving locomotive, and

- that will exhibit a signal-lantern to indicate danger simultaneouslywith the sounding of a gong.

With these objects in view my invention consists in certain features ofconstruction and combinations of parts, that will be hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings making a part of this specification, Figure lis a side elevation of the device. Fig. 2-represents a plan view of themechanism. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device on a line, w m, Fig.2. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the connected quadrantbar andguard-block when the guard-block is depressed.

A represents a railroad-track. At a proper point for the erection of thesignaling mechanism an excavation is made at one sideof the track toreceive the signal-operating machiner ilpon a suitable supporting-post,B, the tripping-lever C is pivoted at a, the lever being located. in aslot in the top end of the post. A projecting end, a, of the lever O ismade to extend near to the rail A of the track, and is rounded toreceive and pivotally support the quadrant-bar D,which is perforated ata proper point in its body to engage the rounded end of this lever, asstated. The upper portion of the bar D lies near the side of the rail Aand is parallel to it, and this portion D is extended a car orlocomotive when they pass over it,

this impinging action of the wheels being the means whereby thesignaling mechanism is actuated, as will be hereinafter explained, and

in order to facilitate the engagement of the wheels and prevent injuryto the working parts of the machinery the top surface of the abutment Dis sloped or inclined to avoid an injurious shock when the signalingapparatus isbeing operated by a rolling car or locomotive.

The quadrant-bar D is extended downward below the point of support a andis curved to form a quadrant, c, which portion is slotted, as seen at c,the lower portion being weighted to cause the abutment-piece to be heldnormally in the position shown in Fig. l, or above the rail-face. Apost, E, (see Fig. 3,) is erected at a suitable distance from the postB, and is slotted to form a stable support for the vibrating lever F,which is supported upon a bolt at the point e, the body of this leverhaving an elongated hole formed in it to permit a proper action of thesame when moved on its support. The levers G and F are jointed togetherat the point d, so as to transmit any vibration of the lever O to leverF, and thus cause adepression of the end-e of the lever Fwhen theabutment D of the quadrant D is depressed by contact of wheels passingover it.

At a switch or other point where it is essential that a danger-signal begiven or the approach of a train or alocomotive be indicated a frame, G,is erected in close proximity to the track to permit the convenientattachment of wire cable or wire rope to mechanism which is mounted onthe frame, and that I will now describe. It should be premised, however,that the position of the frame G is preferably at a considerabledistance from the signal-opcrating mechanism just described, the latterbeing placed at a curve which will obscure the approach of a train whenon it, or at such a safe distance from a switch-stand that the op- IOOto suit the track upon which the train is moving.

Upon proper devices, either above the surface of the ground or in closedboxes, pipes, or other conduits, the wires or wire ropes that operatethe signaling gong and lantern are supported or laid ina manner topermit them to work freely and independently, or without interferencewith each other.

The wire H is connected by one end to the free end 9 of the lever F, andis extended in the manner before specified to connect to the bell-crankI, which is pivotallyattached to one side of the frame G, the otherlimb, 1 of this crank being connected to a retracting-spring, and alsoto the hammer J of the gong K, to ring this gong when the wire H ispulled, it being understood that this wire H, which connects to thetripping-lever G by means of the vibrating lever F, is made to pass oversuch necessary grooved pulleys as to permit its free action to cause adepression of the limb 1 of the bell-crank I when the abutment D of thequadrant D is depressed and suddenly released to assume a normalposition.

In order to overcome frictional resistance that would prevent a properreturn to normal position of the tripping mechanism, a spring, L, isfixed upon the frame G to engage with the lever F; or it may be attachedto the end I of the bell-crank I, and the same result will follow.

The signal-lantern Mis vertically supported upon an upright shaft, M,that preferably rests in a step, M, and is thus adapted to revolve andshow a safety or danger signal. The shaft M is provided with aprojecting arm,N, which is connected by a link, it, to the vertical limbO of the bell-crank 0, its horizontal limb 0 being secured to a wire orwire rope, P, which is properly conducted to attach to the end 9 of thelever F,and aretractile spring, S, is affixed to the frame G inconvenient position to be linked to the end of the arm N in a manner tohold the lantern M to expose its face to the track and illuminate theswitch or other position within the range of vision of the switchman orother watchman.

When the cars or locomotive has contact with the tripping devices hereinpreviously described, the bell crank 0 will be made to vibrate, andpartially revolve the lantern M,

so as to expose a red or dangersignal in place of the safety-signal, andat the same time the gong will be struck to call attention to theposition of the lantern.

When it is desired to signal several advanced points on the railroad, toindicate the approach of a train,it may be done by the use of asupplementary device, which will be described. Apost, T, is located nearthe tripping-lever C and the attached vibrating lever F. This post isprovided with a bell-crank, T, adapted to vibrate thereon, the limb isof this bell crank having a bent portion, In, formed upon its free end,which is made to work in a slot, in, formed in an upward extension, 0 ofthe tripping-lever O, and which will communicate motion received fromthe levcr 0 through the link V to an arm, \V, attached to a verticalshaft,Y,and properly supported to partly rotate on its foot 0. It isevident that a wire or wire rope secured to the outer end, 1), of thearm \V may be extended to a distant point and be connected to agongstriking works, such as has been described,to operate it, and thussignal the advancing locomotive or train of cars.

In order to prevent an improper signal being given by a train orlocomotive moving in an opposite direction, or away from a switch, theguard block R is pivoted at r to vibrate and lie in the line of thetrack A. This block R is made to project above the face of the track andsufficiently near it to be struck and depressed by the wheels of alocomotive or cars that are moved over it on the track.

The(\) shaped lever U is pivoted to vibrate at a, and is loosely securedto the guard block It at its outer end, 8, the opposite end, w, beingweighted and made to engage the slot of the quadrantbar D,two parallelproj ecting ears, t, being perforated and furnished with a pivot-bolt toeffect a sliding engagement of these parts.

- Vhen a locomotive depresses the guardblock It by a movement that is ina direction opposite to or away from a switch, the downward movement ofthis block will vibrate the weighted lever U,which, from its slidingconnection with the curved slot in the quadrantbar D, will raise theengaged end of this bar and lower the abutment D to a level with thetrack by the rocking of the quadrant-bar on the pivotal point a of thetripping-lever G, and in this manner prevent the operation of thesignaling apparatus by turning quadrant-bar D on the pivotal pointainstead of depressing this point.

Slight changes may be made in the constructive details of this device tofacilitate manufacture without departure from the spirit and scope of myinvention. Hence I do not desire to restrict;myself to exact formsshown; but,

Having fully described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railroad signaling device,the combination, with a quadrant-barand a pair of levers loosely connected at their adjacent ends, of asignal and a flexible connection loosely connecting the signal to one ofthe levers, sothat the former is operated by a motion of said levers,substantially as set forth.

2. In a railroad signaling device,the combination, with a quadrant-barand its integral abutment, a tripping-lever, and a vibrating lever, of awire rope or other flexible appliance adapted to cause the sounding of agong when the abutment is depressed and released suddenly, and a gong orbell located at a distance from the quadrant-bar, substantially as setforth.

3. In a railroadsigualing device, the combination, with a quadrant-barand its attached abutment, a tripping-lever, a vibrating-lever connectedpivotally to the tripping-lever, and two wire ropes that are extended toa point distant from the quadrant and its mechanism, of a gong and alantern, the gongbeing connected to one wire rope, the lantern to asecond wire rope, each being operated to give alarm-signals by thevertical depression and release of the quadrant-bar, substantially asset forth.

4. In a railroad signaling device,the combination, with aquadrant-bar, atripping-lever, a vibrating lever, a Wire rope, and agong connected tosound when the quadrant-bar is acted upon by the wheel of a locomotiveor car, of a guard-block that is connected to the quadrant-bar and isadapted to rock it and prevent a signal being sounded when a carwheel orlocomotive-wheel strikes this guardblock before striking thequadrant-bar, substantially as set forth.

5. In a signaling device for railroads, the combination, with aquadrant-bar and mechanism that communicates motion to a gong and alantern when the quadrant-bar is vertically depressed and released by amovement of a car or locomotive over the quadrant-bar, of a pivotedguard-block and a weighted bent lever'pivotally attached to it andhaving sliding engagement with the slotted body of the quadrant-bar tocause it to rock and carry its abutment below the top surface of arailroadrail near which these devices are located, and thus prevent asignal when the guard-block is struck by a car or locomotive beforestriking the quadrant-bar, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

TOPPAN P. RODGERS. Witnesses:

E. D. GODFREY, E. L. CROSEMAN.

